LAHORE: The Punjab government has reversed a decision to make hijab mandatory for girls in colleges, hours after Punjab Higher Education Minister Raza Ali Gillani stated that hijab should be part of the dress code for college girls. Earlier, the higher education minister at a meeting of the Higher Education Department at the Committee Room of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore on Tuesday, proposed that college girls wearing hijab be given five percent attendance relaxation. “We want to give an incentive to girls for wearing hijab,” said the minister during the meeting, adding that the measure was aimed at promoting hijab-culture in Punjab. However, a spokesman for the provincial government Tuesday clarified that no such decision had been taken or was being considered by the provincial government. The Punjab government issued a press note asking the print and electronic media not to broadcast or publish any such news after it was severely criticised online by politicians and rights activists. Meanwhile, the meeting also decided that 721 colleges, attached with the Higher Education Department, would be given sufficient resources for their necessary development work in the upcoming budget 2017-18. “For the purpose, development proposals have already been solicited and new development budget would be designed in such a way to ensure necessary resources for best educational and research facilities, the minister said, adding: “We are committed to providing world-class education to the students.” The minister said that a holistic approach had been adopted to improve quality of education. Gillani also directed officials concerned to initiate auction of rundown vehicles, and sought a summary to give honoraria to hardworking staff. He said that 7,000 vacant posts of teachers at the Higher Education Department would be rationalised to benefit students. He asked officials to identify land for construction of college buildings established in rented buildings. He said that divisional directors should give priority to uplift schemes, including construction of boundary walls, provision of furniture and setting up of science and computer labs, besides establishment of filtration plants and provision of bus and library facilities be also taken care of. He said that morning assembly should be resumed at the colleges and students should be sensitised on Islamic concepts for their character building. “They [students] should also be told about hazards of drugs,” he added. The minister also sought a list of officials on ex-Pakistan leave. He said that colleges should launch their websites and keep them regularly updated along with the facility of one-window operation so that issues of students could be solved amicably.